A voter casts his ballot at the polling station in Hôtel de la Collectivité on Saturday during the Presidential election first round for the overseas Collectivités. (Robert Luckock photo)
MARIGOT—French Presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon captured the most votes in St. Martin during Saturday’s first round of voting for the overseas Collectivités.
Jean-Luc Melenchon received 35 per cent of the votes, Emmanuel Macron was second with 25 per cent, Marine Le Pen finished in third place with 14.09 per percent, and Eric Zemmour was in fourth place with 11.14 percent.
The Préfecture noted the participation rate for St. Martin in the first round was 24.62 per cent by 5:00pm compared to 2017’s turnout of 19.76 per cent. By contrast the participation rate in St. Barths was 42.04 per cent by 5:00pm compared to 51.66 per cent in 2017. Both islands had 24,411 registered voters.
St. Martin and St. Barths will be voting again in the second in the French Antilles on April 23. The national projections already have Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen going head-to-head in the run-off on April 24 in France.
